The Ultimate Guide to the International Olympiad in Informatics

Participating in an olympiad can be a thrilling experience - it’s a high-stakes competition where you put your knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities to the test! Winning a medal at an olympiad requires perseverance, creativity, and a strong understanding of fundamental academic concepts. You stand out among your cohort and prove your academic prowess and ability to thrive in high-pressure situations. 

If you’re familiar with the Olympiad format and have a strong foundation in mathematics, computer science, and information technology, then you should consider participating in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). This prestigious event brings together some of the brightest students worldwide in a multi-day programming event.

What is the IOI all about?

The IOI is one of 12 recognized International Science Olympiads. The first IOI was conceptualized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and was held in Bulgaria in 1989. Since then, it has been held annually in a different country each year and has grown from 13 to 87 participating countries at its last edition in Hungary in 2023, with 351 participants. 

The IOI brings together talented secondary school (including high school) students with a strong understanding of mathematics and computer programming to design and implement algorithms that solve problem tasks. Participants design and code in a widely used programming language, usually C++. Each participating nation sends a team of four students and two accompanying adults.  

Is the IOI prestigious?

The IOI, like other international olympiads, is highly prestigious. Representing your country is an extremely selective process. If you’ve made it to the national IOI team, you’re one of four top young computer programmers from your country!

How do you prepare for the IOI?

To participate and win medals at the IOI, you need to thoroughly understand how to code and implement algorithms and have exceptional problem-solving techniques. IOI participants normally code in C++, though you can use other programming languages. If you’re interested in informatics olympiads, we highly recommend you become skilled at writing complex code. 

For interested candidates, the IOI website offers C++ tutorials and resources you can use to develop your programming skills and recommends you refer to these books to improve your problem-solving abilities. 

How is the IOI structured?

The Olympiad is a week-long event with two competition days and recreational and cultural activities organized on other days. On each competition day, you will have to solve three problem-solving tasks Tasks participants at the 2023 Olympiad had to solve included finding the longest trip length possible to a city (l) by proving that trip length l+1 doesn’t exist, programming a robot that has to navigate a maze that has rows and column that meet specific criteria and has obstacle cells, and building a soccer stadium in a forest and navigate the construction around trees. You can find practice problems and previous years’ tasks and their solutions here. 

Who can participate in the Olympiad?

Secondary school students who are selected for their national Olympiad team can participate. Selection criteria can differ for different countries. For example, in India, you have to participate in the Indian Computing Olympiad. This program has multiple zonal rounds to qualify for the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics. The top 30 students of the INOI then undergo a rigorous training camp and those who excel are selected for the national team and represent the country at the IOI.  

The U.S. has the United States of America Computing Olympiad (USACO). The top four students here represent the country at the IOI. 

Where is the Olympiad held?

Each year, the IOI is held in a different UNESCO member state. The first Olympiad was held in Bulgaria in 1989 and the 2023 edition took place in Hungary. Alexandria, Egypt, will hold the 2024 Olympiad from 1-8 September, followed by Bolivia in 2025 and Uzbekistan in 2026. 

How are medals distributed at the event?

The IOI judges score participants and award medals based on the highest score of the competition and the following criteria:

• A gold medal is awarded to at least the top one-twelfth of all contestants, based on the highest score in the competition

• According to the regulations, at least a quarter of all contestants must receive a gold or silver medal

• At least half of all contestants must receive either a gold, silver, or bronze medal

• A contestant who is not awarded a medal will receive an “Honorable Mention” if less than half of all contestants score higher than them on one of the competition days

Five things you need to do to win a medal at the IOI

1. Have a deep understanding of mathematics and programming

IOI problem tasks are heavily based on probability, statistics, number theory, and other mathematical concepts. The hard part of the Olympiad isn't coding but understanding the mathematics problem to produce a program that works. You’ll also need to master complex algorithms and data structures and use them to solve problems. 

2. Practice, practice, and practice

It isn’t glamorous, but the saying “practice makes perfect” certainly applies in this case. IOI problems are highly complex and you need to be extremely familiar with them by the competition date. IOI offers hopeful participants access to its past years’ questions along with the solutions and a list of relevant literature you can use to improve your problem-solving skills.    

3. Simulate competition-like conditions

A great way to prepare for the time-limited, high-pressure nature of the Olympiad is to take mock tests and recreate the same conditions at home and solve the past years’ questions. You can even join international online programming competitions like Codeforces to test yourself against other programmers. 

4. Be more efficient and optimize your solutions

Being able to solve IOI-level problems isn’t enough, you need to set yourself apart from your competitors. Try to broaden your way of thinking and find more optimal solutions that use less code, apply some form of advanced programming, and demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge to find a solution in the least time possible.

5. Stay abreast of the latest innovations in programming languages

Learning about the newest algorithms through published research papers and other sources will not only expand your knowledge but also help you predict the kind of questions that the IOI could ask, leaving you better prepared. 

Fun Facts - which countries historically do well at the IOI?

Belarus (102), Bulgaria (123), China (139), Croatia (103), Hungary (100), Iran (119), Poland (127), South Korea (123), Romania (127), Russia (120), Singapore (100), Slovakia (105), Taiwan (113), Thailand (111), U.S. (119), and Vietnam (122) have won 100 medals or more since the Olympiad’s inception in 1989. 

Gennady Korotkevich, a Belarusian participant, has won the most medals (7: 6 gold and 1 silver).

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